More fun than expected

Date: 8/31/09
Place: Cosmo Park, Columbia, MO

#1
Kites: Echo on 12'
Wind: 0 - 2 mph, NW
Weather: Cloudy, 57º

I had more fun than expected today! And I wouldn't be flying kites if I didn't expect to have fun. :^)

I did a few 360s at the start of the fly, but as the wind picked up I moved on to other tricks. I practiced some Helicopters with some decent success. I flew into and out of some fades, which is generally harder with the Echo than with my other kites.

#2
Kites: 3d on 20'
Wind: 1 - 3 mph, N
Weather: Mostly sunny, 68º

It was so nice out after work that I couldn't resist a 2nd fly. I went out thinking I would fly my Zephyr, but there was a lighter wind so I flew my 3d. There was a sunny sunset with a large dark gray cloud nearby so the light was great, making for a beautiful background for the purple and teal of the 3d!

I flew a few backflips down to the ground and even got a very nice lazy susan. The 3d pops up from the ground very nicely now into fades, a trick I used to find difficult. I flew a lot of very low, very flat, and very slow axels. The 3d seems to be very good at this type of axels, but it takes a very light touch on the lines.

Another thing of note is that the 3d (on 20' or shorter lines) is the only kite I own that I can launch from the the belly-down, nose-toward-me, "dead launch" position. I'm able to lift the nose enough that the 3d is able to take off.

Again, this evening's fly was more fun than expected!